Spoon University/Sadi Vitkus I'm coming straight out with it. I love Trader Joe's. It's a perfect spot to stop and pick up a pre-made salad, some fresh produce, or some of their many varieties of chocolate-covered goodies. For real, they have chocolate-covered everything. Anyway, when I became vegetarian two years ago I found that Trader Joe's had a large variety of vegetarian and vegan options to try. I tasted a few of these options — here's how they stack up.

1/

1. Thai Vegetable Gyoza

Spoon University/Sadi Vitkus

When I was younger, dumplings were my favorite food of all time. But since becoming vegetarian, I couldn't find any purely vegetable dumplings until now. When I found these in the frozen aisle, I was beyond excited. The texture and flavor exceeded my expectations, making these my number one choice.

2/

2. Mango Jicama Slaw

Spoon University/Sadi Vitkus

This is the salad to grab if you want some crunch. I was incredibly pleased to find a mountain of cilantro piled on. The lime vinaigrette has a bit of a kick, but it's just the right amount of tang for the slaw.

3/

3. Super Spinach Salad

Spoon University/Sadi Vitkus

This salad has literally all of my favorite foods combined in one, so I had to give it a try. I ended up devouring it, of course. The selection of prepared salads at Trader Joe's is incomparable to any other grocery store.

4/

4. Tillamook Cheddar Cheese

Spoon University/Sadi Vitkus

You may be wondering why I picked a cheese to taste test. Well, lots of cheeses actually contain a culture called rennet, which isn't vegetarian. This cheddar is made with vegetable rennet, making it the perfect loophole for vegetarians who still love cheese (which is most of them I'm assuming because, c'mon, it's cheese).

5/

5. Greens, Beans, and Grains

Spoon University/Sadi Vitkus

Suspicious of this combo? Yup, I was too. But to my surprise, the mix worked delightfully together. I would recommend giving this one a try if you're looking for another practical frozen meal.

6/

6. Channa Masala

Spoon University/Sadi Vitkus

I have one word... spicy. I'm not the most tolerant with spicy food, but even my family agreed with me on this one. I personally love Chana Masala, but this one took the spice a little too far for me.

7/

7. Thai Sweet Chili Veggie Burger

Spoon University/Sadi Vitkus

These veggie burgers are your average, everyday frozen veggie patties. Not the best, not the worst. I would eat them again, but they wouldn't be my first choice.

8/

8. Indian Fare Madras Lentils

Spoon University/Sadi Vitkus

For this item being a non-refrigerated, boxed item, it really wasn't horrible. Like many foods from Trader Joe's, it was easy to prepare. I tried mine over some basmati rice and a squeeze of lemon and as it was recognizably not homemade.

9/

9. Fruit Bars

Spoon University/Sadie Vitkus

Trader Joe's fruit bars are convenient to bring to school or work for a boost of energy, and they only have two ingredients (apple and the other fruit in the bar). No added sugars or unnecessary preservatives, just pure fruit. The texture resembles the inside of a cereal bar (like NutriGrain), which I'm not a fan of. But if you are, these are a great alternative because of the simple ingredient list.

10/

10. Vegetable Bird Nests

Spoon University/Sadie Vitkus

These bird nests have a nice, crispy texture and come with a handy dipping sauce, but I found them to be quite greasy. Tasty and quick for after school, but not the healthiest with all the oil, putting them in 10th place.